Dispensing apparatus



Jan. 10, 1933. A. BOOMERSHINE 1,893,725

DISPENSING APPARATUS I Filed. Jan. 23, 1931 a Sheets-Sheet 1 I I0 MI /37ATTORNEYS Jan. 10, 1933. A. BOOMERSHINE DISPENSING APPARATUS 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1931 m T N w m ATTORNEYS Jan. 10, 1933. A.BOOMERSHINE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEADAM BOOMERSHINE, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T GRANT W.

NICHOLAS, OF

DAYTON, OHIO Application filed January 23, 1931. Serial No. 510,694.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus, it more particularlyrelating to apparatus for dispensing paper articles such as stackedpaper towels.

An object of my invention is to improve the mechanism for ejecting thetowels.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an arrangementwhereby the towels will be at all times concealed within the cabinet,together with ejecting mechanism of a character which will eject aportion of one of the towelsthrough an opening in the cabinet to aposition where it may be readily grasped by the user.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means fordispensing powdered soap.

A further object of my invention is to improve the coin controlleddevices which operate the article-ejecting mechanism.

I11 the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation with the cabinet partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 25 1 Fig. 3 is a top planview.

Fig. i is a section on the line -t'i of Fig. 1 showing the ejectingmechanism in inoperative position.

Fig. 5 is a section on the same line as Fig. a showing the position ofthe ejecting mechanism after it has been operated to grasp an article,but before ejection thereof.

Fig. 6 is also a section on the same line as Fig. 4 showin the ejectingmechanism moved to the position for ejecting the article.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on the line 8'8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a detail section of a portion of the clamping members of theejecting mechanism when in their operative position.

Fig.11 is an enlarged section on the line 1111 of Fig. 1-.

Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of Fig.1.

Fig. 13 is a section on the line 1318 of Fig. 14- is a section on theline 1414-. of Fig. 1.

Fig. 15 is a section similar to Fig. 14, but showing the parts in adifferent position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents an outer cabinet or casingconstructed preferaly of sheet metal, the forward side 2 of which ishinged at its lower edge as at 3 so that access may be had to theinterior of the casing when desired. Within the casing is a holder ormagazine for the articles to be dispensed, which in the present case,are folded paper towels. This magazine is preferably constructed ofsheet metal and has a back 4, sides 5, bottom members each having ahorie5 zontal portion 6 at its outer edge and downwardly inclinedportions 6 separated for the full width of the magazine to form anelongated discharge opening 7, and a short forward wall 8 in its lowerportion, the front 20 and top being otherwise open. The folded towels Tto be dispensed are placed in the magazine, being supported by thehorizontal portion 6 of the bottom. These towels are so stacked that thelower fold of each towel will be interengaged with the folds of the nextlower towel so that when a towel is ejected the lower flap or fold ofthe next succeeding towel will be drawn through the elongated opening 7in the manner shown at t in Fig. 2, this being a well known arrangementin dispensing apparatus of this character. The discharge opening 7 ofthe magazine is a suitable distance abovethe bottom 8 of the outercasing or cabinet and this bottom 8 also has an elongated dischargeopening 9 in vertical align ment with the discharge opening 7 of themagazine. By this arrangement the hanging flap of the towel, beingconsiderably above the discharge opening 9 will not be accessible to theuser until it has been ejected by the mechanism to be described.

A set of ejecting devices is located at each end of the towel magazine.Each one of these ejecting devices employs a pair of pivoted jaws 10which are pivoted as at 11 to a vertically movable slide 12 which ,isslidably mounted in ways 13 formed by bending the metal of the front andrear edges of the end walls 5 of the magazine. The arm 10 ofeach of thejaw members is pivotally connected to the lower end of a long link 14 bya link 15. The links 14 and 15 are pivoted together by a screw 16 (Fig.11) which has its end projecting into an elongated vertical slot 12 inthe slide 12. The upper end of the link let is connected to a crank arm17 fast to a rock shaft 18 which is common to both sets of the ejectingdevices. This shaft 18 has at one end thereof a crank arm 19 (Fig. 12)which is pivotally connected by a link 20 with a vertically movableoperating member 21 having an operating finger piece 22, this member inthe present case being the slide member of the coin controlled device. 7

When the member 21 is moved downwardly bypressure upon the finger piece22 it rocks the shaft 18, the initial rocking movement of which causesthe links l t and 15 to rock the clamping members 10 upon their pivots11 to the position shown in Fig. 5 so as to clamp between the strips 10of which one each is attached to the lower ends 10 of a pair of jaws 10,the fold or flap of the towel which pro? jects through the opening 7. Apositive gripping efiect on the flap of the towel is afforded by thepressure of a plurality of small pins 10 in one of the strips 10 inalignment with a plurality of openings 10 in the mating strip, the pinspressing the paper partially into the openings. In the meantime theslide 12 has been held in its uppermost position by a hinged detent 23and by a coil spring 24:. The detent 23 is pivotally connected at itsupper end with the end 5 of the magazine as shown best in Fig. 7 andFig. 8, a fiat spring 25 having one end thereof secured to the magazine,serves to press the free V-shaped portion 23 of the detent into a recess26 formed in the slide 12. This recess 26 is somewhat elongated andnormally the V-shaped portion of the detent is in the extreme lowerportion thereof as shown in Fig. 7 but upon the initial movement of theejecting mechanism just described the slide 12 will be permitted aslight downward movement against the tension of the spring 2a in orderto obviate friction caused by the binding of the parts. At the end ofthis slight downward movement of the slide the upper wall of the recess26 will be engaged by the detent 23 which is of suthcient strength tohold the slide in its upper portion until the clamping members have beeninitially moved to clamping position to firmly clamp the flap of thetowel.

. Upon further movement of the main operating device, the ejecting jawstogether with the slide 12 upon which they are mounted will be moveddownwardly to eject the flap of the towel through the opening 9 in thebottom of the cabinet, the tension of the spring 25 which holds thedetent 23 in the recess 26 being overcome upon this movement so that theV-shaped portion of the detent will ride upon the slide, and beyond theupper edge thereof as shown in Fig. 6. As soon as the main operatingdevice has been drawn down to its limit and released, a spring 27 coiledabout the shaft 18, with one end thereof secured to the shaft and theother end placed about a pin 27 projecting from the end of the magazineserves to return the parts to their normal position. Upon this returnmovement, it is essential that the clamping jaws should release theprojecting flap or fold of the towel upon the initial upward movement ofthe slide and to that end means are provided for yieldably temporarilyretarding the movement of the slide until the aws have opened. The upperedge of the slide, in line with the'recess 26 is provided with aninclined recess 28 (Figs. 6, 7 and 8) over which the free end of thedetent 28 must ride. This inclination is such as to temporarily retardthe movement of the slide as soon as the V- shaped portion of the detentmakes contact with the lower portion of the inclination, so that thefurther upward movement of the link 14 under the action of the spring 27will through the links 15 open the jaws, after which the tension of thedetent spring 25 is overcome to allow the slide 12 to move to its normalupward position.

The door or forward side 2 of the cabinet is provided with a window 2'opposite the lower part of the magazine in order that the contents ofthe magazine may be observed without opening the cabinet so that thecustomer may determine whether the machine is in condition to dispensethe towels or other articles; that is, whether the machine is empty orwhether it still has articles in the magazine.

The mechanism so far described may be employed in a free dispensingapparatus or in a coin controlled dispensing apparatus. In the presentcase I have shown coin means for controlling the operation of the slide21. This slide has on its inner edge a projection shown partly in dottedlines at 29 (Fig. 12). Normally standing in the path of movement of thisprojection is a laterally extending detent 30 on the lower end of alever 31 pivotally mounted on a pin 38 which projects from the frame 34within which the slide 21 is mounted and which is normally held inengaging position by a spring 32. The detent 30 extends through anelongated arcuate slot 35 in the frame 34. The slide 21 has a coinpocket 36 normally in registry with the slotted opening 37 in the doorof the casing. The upper wall of this coin pocket is formed by a member38 which is secured to the slide proper 21 and has an inclined loweredge and the lower wall is formed by another member 89 likewise securedto the slide proper. The inner wall of the pocket is formed by anextension ?A" on the lower side of the frame member 3a which is securedin spaced relation with the frame member 34 so as to form away for themember 21 to slide in. When a coin is inserted as indicated in dottedlines at C (Fig. 12) and the slide pulled downwardly the coin willcontact with the nose 31' of the detent lever and rock the detent out ofthe path of the projection 29 to permit the complete operation of theslide, the full movement of which is insured by a well known form offull stroke device indicated in dotted lines at 40. The coin drops tothe inclined ledge 41 and from thence is deposited in a coin box 42.

Means are also provided in this machine for dispensing a quantity ofpowdered soap on each operation. The powdered soap is contained in acasing 43 within which is reciprocally mounted a plunger 44 on the lowerend of which are a pair of spaced collars 45 and 46 forming therebetweena measuring pocket. The plunger is held in its normal upward position bya spring 47 coiled thereabout and interposed between a perforawd plungerguide 48 projecting from the interior of the casing 43 and the cotterpin 49 carried by the plunger. An arm 50 has a bent-over portion 51which is pivotally connected with the upper end of the plunger, this armextending down along the outside of the casing and having at its lowerend an elongated slot- 52 within which works the pin 53 which serves topivotally connect the link 20 with the cam slide 21. The length of thisslide is such that the pin 53 will contact the lower wall of the slot 52sometime prior to the completion of the down stroke of the slide 21,carrying the pocketed portion of the plunger down through a conduit 54depend ing from the bottom of the casing and at its final movementcarrying the lower collar or wall 46 of the pocket into a chamber 55from which leads a discharge chute 56 normally closed by a valve 57which is hinged to tlr, lower end of the chute 56 as shown in 1 and heldin closed position by a spring 58. In Fig. 13 the plunger 44 is at the u)QCI end of its stroke in which posit-Ton the lower collar 46 closes theupper end of the conduit and so retains the powdered soap in the soapcasing 43. As the plunger moves downwardly, the pocketed portion movesinto the conduit, carrying with it a measured quantity of powdered soapas seen in Fig. 14, and so soon as the parts reach the positi on shownin Fig. 15 this powdered soap is discharged into the chamber 55 andthere drops into the chute 56 ready to he dispensed when the valve isopened by the nstomer, while the upper collar 45 now closes the upperend of the conduit on the upward or return stroke, the lower collar 46enters the conduit before the upper collar 45 leaves, preventing anydischarge of soap, during this movement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

7 1. In adispensingapparatus for stacked paper articles such as towels,folded and stacked such that a fold of the lowermost article will dependfrom the stack, of devices 7 for ejecting said depending flap through adischarge opening consisting of means upon the initial movement-of saiddevices for positively grasping said depending flap and means forthereafter bodily moving said grasping means with the flap in. adirection I only toward :the discharge opening so as to project the flaptherethrough.

2. In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as towels,folded and ward the discharge opening so as to project the flaptherethrough, means for returning the parts to their normal position,and means whereby the grasping means are caused to release said flapprior to the completion of the return movement thereof.

3. In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as towels,folded and stacked such that a fold of the lowermost article will dependfrom the stack, a pair of pivoted jaws normally disposed at the sides ofsaid fold, operating devices for said aws, means whereby the initialmovement of said devices closes said jaws upon the depending fold, andmeans whereby the further discharging movement of said devices movessaid jawsbodily in but one'direction to eject the fold through adischarge opening.

4. In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as towels,folded and stacked 'such that a fold of the lowermost article willdepend from the stack, a pair of pivoted jaws, operating devices forsaid jaws, means whereby the initial movement of said devices closessaid aws upon the depending fold, means whereby the further dischargingmovement of said'devices moves said jaws bodily in but one direction toeject the fold through a discharge opening, means for returning theparts to normal position, and meansfor causing said jaws to open uponsuch return movement and prior to the completionthereof.

5." In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as papertowels folded and stacked such that a fold of the lowermost article willdepend from the stack, ejecting mechanism comprising a pair of pivotedjaws, a movable member upon which said jaws are mounted,a. manuallyoperated device, and connections from said device whereby the initialmovement thereof closes the jaws and the additional movement thereofmoves said movable member and the jaws in but one direction to ejectingposition.

6. In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as papertowels folded and stacked such that a fold of the lowermost article willdepend from the stack, ejecting mechanism comprising a movable slide,yieldable means for holding said slide in normal position, a pair ofjaws pivotally connected with said slide, a manually operated device,and connections between said device and said jaws whereby the initialdischarging movement thereof closes said jaws and the further movementthereof moves said slide and jaws in but one direction to ejectingposition.

7 In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as papertowels folded and stacked such that a fold of the lowermost article willdepend from the stack, ejecting mechanism comprising a movable slide,yieldable means for holding said slide in normal position, a pair ofjaws pivotally connected with said slide, a manually operated device,connections between said device and said jaws whereby the initialmovement thereof closes said jaws and the further discharging movementthereof moves said slide and jaws in but one direction to ejectingposition, means for returning the parts to normal position, and meansfor temporarily resisting the return movement of said slide to causesaid connections to open the jaws prior to the return thereof to normalposition.

8. In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as papertowels folded and stacked such that a fold of the lowermost article willdepend from the stack, ejecting mechanism comprising a movableslide, apair of jaws pivotally mounted on said slide, a rock shaft, a manuallyoperated device for rocking said shaft, an arm on said rock shaft,toggle mechanism between said arm and jaws, and means for temporarilyresisting the movement of said slide whereby the operation of saidmanually operated device causes an initial closing of said jaws andthereafter a movement of said slide and jaws to ejecting position.

9. In a dispensing apparatus for stacked paper articles such as papertowels folded and stacked such that a fold of the lowermost article willdepend from the stack, a pair of jaws one of which has a series ofopenings and the other a series of pins to register with said openings,means for pivotally mounting said jaws, and amanually operated devicefor causing an initial closing of said jaws and thereafter a movementthereof to ejecting position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day ofJanuary, 1931.

ADAM BOOMERSHINE.

